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GCSE Art and Design learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers organised by topic.

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This qualification is linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams and submit all their non-exam assessment at the end of the course.

Subject content

Students choose one or more of the titles below for study.

1. Art, craft and design

2. Fine art

3. Graphic communication

4. Textile design

5. Three-dimensional design

6. Photography

Assessments

Component 1: Portfolio

What's assessed

A portfolio that in total shows explicit coverage of the four assessment objectives. It must include a sustained project evidencing the journey from initial engagement to the realisation of intentions and a selection of further work undertaken during the student's course of study.

How it's assessed

No time limit

96 marks

60% of GCSE

Non-exam assessment (NEA) set and marked by the school/college and moderated by AQA during a visit. Moderation will normally take place in June.

Component 2: Externally set assignment

What's assessed

Students respond to their chosen starting point from an externally set assignment paper relating to their subject title, evidencing coverage of all four assessment objectives.

How it's assessed

Preparatory period followed by 10 hours of supervised time

96 marks

40% of GCSE

Non-exam assessment (NEA) set by AQA; marked by the school/college and moderated by AQA during a visit. Moderation will normally take place in June.

Component details

Component 1: Portfolio

The content of the portfolio will be determined by the particular requirements and nature of the course of study undertaken. There is no restriction on the scale of work, media or materials used.
Each student must select and present a portfolio representative of their course of study. The portfolio must include both:

1. A sustained project developed in response to a subject, theme, task or brief evidencing the journey from initial engagement with an idea(s) to the realisation of intentions. This will give students the opportunity to demonstrate, through an extended creative response, their ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding from across their course of study.

2. A selection of further work resulting from activities such as trials and experiments; skills-based workshops; mini and/or foundation projects; responses to gallery, museum or site visits; work placements; independent study and evidence of the student's specific role in any group work undertaken.

The work submitted for this component will be marked as a whole. Students should carefully select, organise and present their portfolio and must ensure that it provides evidence of meeting all four assessment objectives. They must identify and acknowledge sources which are not their own and provide evidence of drawing activity and written annotation.

Work selected for the portfolio should be presented in an appropriate format and could include: mounted studies, sketchbooks, visual diaries, journals, design sheets, design proposals, models, maquettes, prototypes, storyboards, video, photographic or digital presentations, records of transient and site-specific installations.

Component 2: Externally set assignment

AQA will provide a separate externally set assignment for each title, each with seven different starting points. Students must select and respond to one starting point from their chosen title.

The externally set assignment provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate, through an extended creative response, their ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding in response to their selected starting point.

The extended creative response must explicitly evidence students' ability to draw together different areas of knowledge, skill and/or understanding from initial engagement with their selected starting point through to their realisation of intentions in the 10 hours of supervised time.

Students must ensure that the total submission for Component 2 evidences coverage of all four assessment objectives and evidence of drawing activity and written annotation. Students must identify and acknowledge sources which are not their own.

Externally set assignments will be available to students and teachers from 2 January. They must be given to students in their entirety and must not be edited, changed or abridged in any way.

A preparation period which can begin on or after 2 January is followed by 10 hours of supervised unaided work in which students are required to realise their intentions. Students must not undertake any further preparatory studies once the first period of supervised time starts.
Preparatory period - from 2 January

Students and teachers can access the externally set assignments on 2 January (or as soon as possible afterwards) but not before. It is at the discretion of schools to plan when their students start work on their assignments after 2 January.

Following receipt of the externally set assignment paper, students should select one starting point from which to develop their own work.

Students may discuss their starting points with the teacher.

Preparatory work may be presented in any suitable two- or three-dimensional format such as mounted sheets, sketchbooks, journals, design proposals, models and maquettes, digital or non-digital presentations.

Students must stop work on their preparatory studies as soon as the first period of supervised time starts.

There is no restriction on the scale of work, media or material used.

Supervised time - 10 hours

Following the preparatory period, students must undertake 10 hours of unaided focused study, under supervision.

The first two hours of supervised time must be consecutive.

Schools and colleges may timetable supervised sessions for the remaining eight hours at their own discretion.

Students may refer to their preparatory work during the supervised time but must not add to it or amend it during the supervised time or between sessions.

Students must not add to or amend work produced during the supervised time; either between sessions of supervised time or after the 10 hours of supervised time has been completed.

Work produced in the supervised time must be clearly identified as such.

Preparatory work and work produced during the supervised time must be kept under secure conditions between and following the supervised sessions. Work produced during the supervised time must be clearly identified as such.

Only the preparatory work and the work produced within the 10 hours of supervised time can be submitted as assessment evidence for this component.

Students must not have access to the internet during the 10 hours of supervised time. Students are allowed access to web-based applications, eg Adobe Creative Cloud, but all other internet access must be disabled.

All work submitted for this component will be marked as a whole. Students may produce a single outcome or a series of related outcomes when realising their intentions in the supervised time. Outcomes may be evidenced in any two-dimensional, three-dimensional, digital or non-digital format. There is no restriction on scale of work, media or materials used.

The supervised time must take place under the guidelines set out in the document JCQ Instructions for the conduct of examinations.

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This qualification is linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams and submit all their non-exam assessment at the end of the course. Students choose one or more of the titles below for study.

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GCSE Art | GCSE Art Assessment Objectives

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Find past papers and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers

This specification is designed to be taken over two years.

This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.

GCSE exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June 2018 and then every May/June for the life of the specification.

All materials are available in English only.

Our GCSE exams in Art and Design include questions that allow students to demonstrate their ability to:

bring together the knowledge, understanding and skills acquired during their course of study

select and present work produced during their studies to demonstrate attainment, reflecting a holistic approach to coverage of the assessment objectives

make connections between knowledge, understanding and skills when engaging with sources such as the work of artists, craftspeople and designers and when applying working methods and processes appropriate to one or more of:

a starting point, stimulus or issue-based concern

a design brief or problem requiring a solution

a task which specifies an outcome such as an image, artefact or product.

There is synoptic assessment in both components of the GCSE that provides rigour and presents opportunities for students as follows:

In Component 1 (portfolio) students develop responses to initial starting points, project briefs or specified tasks and realise intentions informed by research, the development and refinement of ideas and meaningful engagement with selected sources. Responses will include evidence of drawing for different purposes and needs and written annotation.

In Component 2 (externally set assignment) students respond to a starting point provided by AQA. This response provides evidence of the student's ability to work independently within specified time constraints, realise intentions that are personal and meaningful and explicitly address the requirements of all four assessment objectives.

Aims and learning outcomes

Courses based on this specification should encourage students to:

actively engage in the creative process of art, craft and design in order to develop as effective and independent learners, and as critical and reflective thinkers with enquiring minds

develop creative, imaginative and intuitive capabilities when exploring and making images, artefacts and products

become confident in taking risks and learn from experience when exploring and experimenting with ideas, processes, media, materials and techniques

develop critical understanding through investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical and expressive skills

develop and refine ideas and proposals, personal outcomes or solutions with increasing independence

acquire and develop technical skills through working with a broad range of media, materials, techniques, processes and technologies with purpose and intent

develop knowledge and understanding of art, craft and design in historical and contemporary contexts, societies and cultures

develop an awareness of the different roles and individual work practices evident in the production of art, craft and design in the creative and cultural industries

develop an awareness of the purposes, intentions and functions of art, craft and design in a variety of contexts and as appropriate to students' own work

demonstrate safe working practices in art, craft and design.

Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all GCSE Art and Design specifications and all exam boards.

The exams and non-exam assessment will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.

AO1: Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.

AO2: Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.

Assessment objective weightings for GCSE Art and Design

Assessment objectives (AOs)

Component weightings (approx %)

Overall weighting (approx %)

Component 1

Component 2

Quality of making

The ability to handle materials, techniques and processes effectively, skilfully and safely underpins all the assessment objectives. It is important in enabling students to develop a personal language, to express ideas and to link their intentions to outcomes in a confident and assured manner.

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria must be applied to the assessment of students' work for both components. The assessment objectives are equally weighted in each case. The Assessment criteria grid indicates the levels of attainment that would be expected for the award of marks in the ranges shown.

Each component is marked out of a total of 96 marks. As the assessment objectives are equally weighted in each component, there is a maximum of 24 marks for each of the assessment objectives. The marks, out of 24, for each assessment objective must be added together to produce the total mark out of 96.

You are required to provide a mark for each of the assessment objectives separately in accordance with the assessment criteria and a mark out of 96 must be provided for each component. The assessment grid must be used to identify the student's level of performance in relation to each of the assessment objectives.

Six mark band descriptors are provided, with a range of marks for each of the four assessment objectives.

A Candidate record form (CRF) must be completed for each student for each component. When completing each form the teacher should decide which mark band best describes the student's performance for each assessment objective, then circle the appropriate mark. These marks should then be transferred to the 'mark awarded' row and added together. This total should be entered in the 'total mark box' to the right of the grid.

Four marks are available for each mark band in each assessment objective. The lower mark indicates that the student has just met the requirement described in that particular band, the next mark indicates that evidence is adequate, the next that evidence is clear and the higher mark indicates that evidence is convincing but that the student has not quite met the requirements set out in the next band.

Assessing components 1 and 2

For Component 1, the portfolio submission must be assessed as a whole, using the assessment grid to select which of the six mark band descriptors for each objective best describes the student's overall performance. The same process is met for Component 2, preparatory studies and the work undertaken in the supervised time, must be assessed together when arriving at an overall mark.

Marking to the correct standard

Work submitted for assessment for the GCSE components is assessed at a standard that can be reasonably expected of a student after a full GCSE course of study.

If your school or college offers the art, craft and design title alongside endorsed titles, evidence of an area of study for the art, craft and design title must be assessed to the same standard as it would for the relevant endorsed title.

Teacher standardisation meetings are provided free of charge in the spring term. At these meetings teachers are trained to use the assessment criteria grid through marking exercises using 'live' sets of students' work from each title.

In addition, online exemplification materials are provided on e-AQA with written commentaries which explain how the marks have been awarded. To ensure you use the assessment criteria grid to mark to the correct standard:

access the online exemplification materials (provided on e-AQA) before you mark your own students work

ensure a senior art and design representative from your school or college, with responsibility for conducting internal standardisation, attends a teacher standardisation meeting.

For more information on attendance at teacher standardisation meetings and internal standardisation refer to Teacher standardisation and Internal standardisation.

Assessment criteria grid

The grid below further expands on the assessment objectives. It provides a link between the grade descriptions and the assessment objectives. It should be used to mark students' work and to complete Candidate record forms.

Drawing activity and written annotation must be evidenced in AO3, but can also contribute to evidence for AO1, AO2 and AO4.

AO1

AO2

AO3

AO4

Marks Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources. Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes. Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses. Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.

24 Convincingly

An exceptional ability to skillfully and rigorously record ideas, observations and insights through drawing and annotation, and any other appropriate means relevant to intentions, as work progresses.

23 Clearly

22 Adequately

21 Just

20 Convincingly

A highly developed ability to thoughtfully refine ideas.

A highly developed ability to effectively select and purposefully experiment with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.

A highly developed ability to skillfully record ideas, observations and insights through drawing and annotation, and any other appropriate means relevant to intentions, as work progresses.

19 Clearly

18 Adequately

17 Just

16 Convincingly

A consistent ability to skillfully record ideas, observations and insights through drawing and annotation, and any other appropriate means relevant to intentions, as work progresses.

15 Clearly

14 Adequately

13 Just

12 Convincingly

A moderate ability to effectively develop ideas through purposeful investigations.

A moderate ability to demonstrate critical understanding of sources.

A moderate ability to thoughtfully refine ideas.

A moderate ability to effectively select and purposefully experiment with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.

A moderate ability to skillfully record ideas, observations and insights through drawing and annotation, and any other appropriate means relevant to intentions, as work progresses.

A moderate ability to competently present a personal and meaningful response and realise intentions.

A moderate ability to demonstrate understanding of visual language.

11 Clearly

10 Adequately

9 Just

8 Convincingly

Some ability to develop ideas through purposeful investigations.

Some ability to demonstrate critical understanding of sources.

Some ability to record ideas, observations and insights through drawing and annotation, and any other appropriate means relevant to intentions, as work progresses.

Some ability to present a personal and meaningful response and realise intentions. Some ability to demonstrate understanding of visual language.

7 Clearly

6 Adequately

5 Just

4 Convincingly

Minimal ability to record ideas, observations and insights through drawing and annotation, and any other appropriate means relevant to intentions, as work progresses.

Minimal ability to present a personal and meaningful response and realise intentions.

Minimal ability to demonstrate understanding of visual language.

3 Clearly

2 Adequately

1 Just

0

Work not worthy of any marks.

Assessment weightings

The marks awarded on the papers will be scaled to meet the weighting of the components. Students' final marks will be calculated by adding together the scaled marks for each component. Grade boundaries will be set using this total scaled mark. The scaling and total scaled marks are shown in the table below.

Component

Maximum raw mark

Scaling factor

Maximum scaled mark

Total scaled mark:

480

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Find past papers and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers This specification is designed to be taken over two years. This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.